


Baby Steps

by batgirl856



Series: Never Fell Out of Love With You [3]
Category: Batgirl (Comics), Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics)
Genre: Drunken Confessions, Drunken Kissing, F/M, Forgiveness, Idiots in Love, Sequel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-05
Updated: 2020-09-05
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:15:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25883440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/batgirl856/pseuds/batgirl856
Summary: Jason and Barbara apologize to each other after a nasty argument leaves their hearts bruised.We're almost at the happy part, just wait a little bit longer.Sequel to Dead Man Walking, so you should read that first.
Relationships: Barbara Gordon/Jason Todd
Series: Never Fell Out of Love With You [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1873120
Comments: 2
Kudos: 27





	Baby Steps

**Author's Note:**

> I'm doing another thing, because it's my birthday and I want to!

_Ding_

Jason Peter Todd has just received a message that will change his entire outlook on life. He doesn't know it yet though. As he looks at the message, a million thoughts surge through his brain, but the loudest one says he needs to go to her. To Barbara.

' _I need you_ '

It's a simple message, only three words, but it could have multiple meanings. She could be injured from patrol or feeling down, or even be sick. The only definite thing is that she needs him.

Jason launched himself off the couch and towards his room, so he could get dressed. He jumped into a pair of jeans, threw on a shirt, and quickly tugged on some shoes. As soon as he was on his motorcycle, he peeled away from his safehouse at top speed. Until he remembered be could totally get a ticket for that.

Eleven minutes later, he pulled up to her apartment building. Racing up the stairs toward that place, he thought of all the horrible things that could have happened, and all the horrible things he aid to her.

By the time he reached her floor, Jason was out of breath. He knocked twice and the door immediately opened. Jason didn't really get a good look at Babs before she pulled him inside, just a flash of green before he was up against the wall. 

She was on tiptoe, grasping his collar as she kissed him hard. Jason could taste the booze on her tongue and grabbed her by the shoulders, pushing her back slightly. He looked over her head, towards the living room and saw empty liquor bottles strewn all over the coffee table and one or two on the floor. 

"Are you...drunk?" Jason whispered.

"Yeah, so what?" Barbara giggled, grinding on his thigh. He groaned. God, that felt good. The grip on her shoulders tightened, but didn't push her back again.

"I–I can't," he gasped. "You don't want this, Barbie."

"But I do," Barb insisted, nipping at his earlobe.

Jason pushed her back, holding her firmly at arms length. "You don't. You're drunk."

"I missed you," she said, looking up at him with puppy dog eyes. "And I want you back."

"I missed you too, Barb," he said, leading her to sit down on the couch. Jason went to the kitchen and brought her a glass of water and some aspirin before picking up all the empty bottles and throwing them in the trash. He walked back into the living room and sat next to her, unsure of what to do.

"Really, I–I meant to say sorry, because I feel like I overreacted, but I didn't know how. And I know you didn't mean what you said, because sometimes people say stuff they don't really mean and that's okay, because I know you didn't mean it. I'm still in love with you, but it's okay if you're over it or whatever. I mean, I'll be fine if you are," she rambled, slightly slurring her words in a way Jason found adorable.

Jason wondered if she really meant what she said. He recalled his mother once telling him that drunk people tend to spill the truth, but his mom may have been high when she said that, so who knew if that information was valid.

"I'm sorry about what I said, and you were right to leave. I wanted to apologize, but I thought you hated me and wouldn't want to hear it. I should've tried anyway, and for that I'm so sorry," Jason said kissing her hand, and then her forehead. 

"I was really mad, but I don't hate you. I could never hate you, Jason," she said, softly.

He tried to get up but she yanked him down by the arm and pulled him into a kiss. Before it could go any further, he stopped her again. "You're still drunk,"

"Nooo," Babs lied.

"You're lying," he said, resting his forehead against hers and smirking.

"Why does it matter?" she whined.

"Because you might not feel the same way when you're sober," Jason said, rather solemnly.

"Oh," she whispered.

"Yeah," he nodded. "Okay, you need to rest and I need to go." Barbara reluctantly moved back, but didn't let go of his arm.

"Stay with me?" she pleaded

"Not tonight, Babs." Jason reminded himself that she might not feel the same in the morning. He got up and shook her hand off of his arm. "But I will come back in the morning so we can talk some more, okay?" She nodded. He left her apartment, already anxious about tomorrow morning.

***

The next morning, Jason pulled himself out of bed and got dressed and headed to Barbara's favorite coffee shop. With pastries and coffee tucked safely in his bookbag, Jason took off towards Babs' apartment once more.

After the careful drive, he walked up the stairs and knocked on the door. This time, it took a little longer for her to answer. Jason smiled. He knew how hard it was for her to get up in the mornings.

When the door finally opened, his heart swelled. 

"Hey Jay. What're you doing here?" Babs asked, giving him an adorable sleepy frown before yawning. It was obvious she had just woken up. Her fruit-punch colored hair was pulled up into a messy, slept-in bun with a few strands falling out, framing her tired face. Long lashes and heavy eyelids hovered over her eyes, but he could still see a glint of those beautiful forest green orbs.

"Uhh, I told you I wanted to talk last night, remember?" Jason reminded her.

"Oh... _oh_!" Her eyes shot up to his face, wide in rememberance. "Uh, yeah, come in."

Bunny slippers dragged across the floor as she led him into the kitchen and started preparing the coffee machine.

"No need," he told her, earning a confused look. "I picked up some iced coffee and bear claws at your favorite place."

"Thanks," said Barbara, giving him a shy, sleepy smile. He passed her a mocha frappe and set the bag of pastries in the middle of the table. Jason took a sip of his drink before speaking.

"Is your hangover bad? He was trying to break the ice.

"Not really," she said, biting into her bear claw. "You don't have to dance around the subject you know."

"I know. I guess the first question would be did you really mean what you said?" he said quietly.

"Umm, yeah," she murmured into her cup, blushing a little. "Sorry about dumping all that on you. The guilt eating me up combined with the bad decision making prompted me to just say 'I'm sorry.'"

He chuckled softly. "Yeah, well, it's my turn." Jason looked into her eyes and smirked a bit. "The thing is, I do still love you. Always have, always will. Nothing you say or do can change my mind. I really didn't expect for it—for me—to be like this, but what can I say? I'm in love with you, Barbara Gordon. And I know that doesn't excuse my behavior. I'm so used to being left behind and being hurt. I just didn't want it to happen again. I don't want to lose you, Barbara."

Barbara's jaw dropped as she stared at him wide-eyed.

"Did you, Jason Todd, just admit to being deeply in love with me?"

"Yeah? So what?" Jason grinned and stood. He walked around the table, pulled out her chair, and took her hands. When she stood, he pulled her against him. The duo swayed together to the imaginary music. "That's just the way you make me feel, Barbie."

She pushed him back a bit. "I–I can't just jump back into this, Jason."

"How come?" Jason asked, looking wounded. 

What was she doing? He'd just poured his heart out to her. He _never_ does things like this.

"I'm not ready," she murmured. His arms dropped from around her waist. "If we rush this..."

"...we could get hurt again," he said, completing her sentence. Their argument replayed in his mind.

_Maybe if you had died–_

Why had he said that? Why was he so insecure? Why did he think she was still in love with Dick Grayson?

"Are–are we...done? For good?" Jason asked, suddenly unsure of himself.

"Not for good," she assured him grabbing his hands. "How about baby steps?"

"Baby steps then," he whispered to himself, so low she could barely hear it.

Baby steps. That's a start.


End file.
